Social companion robots have been shown to reduce loneliness in one-on-one interactions with senior living residents. A recent pilot at a continuing care retirement / life plan community, however, revealed that such robots also can encourage group interactions and connection. But some caveats exist.
The Mather in Evanston, IL, conducted a weeklong pilot with 20 independent living and assisted living residents to determine whether Mikora, a social companion robot developed by Enchanted Tools, could increase resident participation in individual and group settings and reduce the workload for resident engagement and programming staff members. The findings recently were published in a report.
